Andy Murray: I will do whatever I can to help Elena Baltacha

Andy Murray in action during his second-round match in Indian Wells (Picture: AP)

Andy Murray says he is keen to do anything he can to help Elena Baltacha, including getting involved in another Rally Against Cancer.

Baltacha, a former British No.1 who retired in November, revealed on Friday she has been diagnosed with liver cancer.

Murray has known her since they were children, and Baltacha is still close to his mother Judy.

The Rally Against Cancer was held after last year’s Aegon Championships final at Queen’s Club. It was the idea of another friend of Murray, Ross Hutchins, who was battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The event, which raised more than £275,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital saw Murray play doubles with Tim Henman against coach Ivan Lendl and Tomas Berdych. Famous names including Jonathan Ross and Boris Johnson also took part.

Hutchins, 29, was told he was in remission in July and returned to action at the start of this season. And last week he was named as tournament director for the Aegon Championships.

The Rally Against Cancer was a one-off, and there are no firm plans to stage it again.

Elena Baltacha is battling cancer (Picture: Reuters)

But Murray said: ‘If there’s anything I could do – I’m sure any of the guys on the tour and the girls, if there’s anything we could do that could help, we would.

‘I’m sure this year, if we do the Rally Against Cancer at Queen’s, that’s something that would definitely be great to get Elena involved in at an early stage.

‘I believe that helped Ross a little bit as well so maybe that would be a nice thing to do.

‘I’ve known Bally for a long time. I don’t know her as well as I know Ross, but it’s still shocking. She’s so young, she’s just retired, you’re expecting her to enjoy just a nice happy life. She’s just got married as well so you feel bad. Life is very, very unfair.

‘She has the right attitude. My mum told me she was unbelievably positive very soon after finding out.’

Murray was speaking in Indian Wells, where he is through to the third round and faces Tommy Robredo in the third round on Monday evening.